Chapter Forty-Two

"Evan Garner approached me after I’d won the national karate title," Kat said, tightening her arms around Riley. The recollection of her most painful memories was eased by the comforting proximity of her friend.

"He invited me for coffee. Said he had a proposition for me." She took a deep breath. "He told me he worked for the government and was always on the lookout for young people with an aptitude for what he called ’extraordinary achievements.’ He looked the part: clean cut, blue suit, a flashy ID that said Justice Department. He’d found out a lot about me--what I’d studied, and even that I had no next of kin listed on any of my enrollment forms. He didn’t know who I really was, though. Only the headmistress at the boarding school I’d attended knew that, and she had vowed to seal the records.

"Anyway," Kat continued, "Garner told me he wanted to send me to a special school to learn to be an operative for the government. I’d be trained in weapons, infiltration techniques, close-quarter combat. It was attractive to me, because I thought I could use those skills to do the one thing that I’d been dreaming about for years. Kill the men who murdered my father.

"So I went to the Academy and learned several different ways to kill people, among other things. By this time I trusted Garner, so I told him who I really was and what I wanted to do. Somehow he found the men who killed my father. And he made all the arrangements so I could get in and out of Cyprus safely. I got my revenge. And then I owed Garner. I started to work for him."

As she opened her mouth to continue, they heard Scout’s muffled shout through the wall. It was just loud enough to be able to make out the words. "I’ll find you," the voice shrieked. "The longer it takes, the worse it will be for you!"

A shiver ran up Riley’s spine at the words. She once again envisioned Sam’s brutal murder.

Kat felt the tension in the other woman’s body. She stroked Riley’s hair. "Don’t worry, you’re safe here."

They listened for another minute or two but could hear no more voices from outside the hidden chamber.

But Kat’s sensitive hearing did pick up something, although it took her several seconds to identify what it was. Faint noises a few feet down the wall from where they lay. "Stay still and keep quiet," she whispered. She took a moment to wrap the thin survival blanket around Riley before she crept toward the area where the sounds originated.

Kat put her ear to the wall. Indistinct but steady sounds. Moving slowly down the wall at knee height. She’s pulling books off the shelves.

It wasn’t that Kat didn’t expect this might happen, but she didn’t think Scout would be quite so quick about it. Kat went to one of her safes and pulled out her MP5 submachine gun, which was capable of firing single shots, three-shot bursts, or full automatic fire--800 rounds per minute.

She loaded the MP5 and slung the strap across her shoulder before returning to the wall. The sounds had moved higher--about to the height of Kat’s head. They were still moving steadily down the length of the wall. Kat thought she heard a muffled curse from the other side but couldn’t be certain. Abruptly, the sounds stopped.

When the noises hadn’t resumed after a minute, Kat returned to Riley.

"What’s happening? Can you tell?"

"Scout was pulling books off the shelves looking for us, but she’s stopped now. My guess is she’s done all she can reach. The latch is a couple of shelves higher." Kat laid the submachine gun on the concrete floor and scooped Riley up, blanket and all.

"I want you over in the corner," she whispered. "Away from the door." Kat set Riley down so she was sitting up with her back against the wall. She opened the blanket and removed the bulletproof vest. "I want you to put this on," she said, then realized the cast was too big to get through the armhole. "That’s no good," she amended. "Well, put your right arm through, anyway," she prompted, and Riley complied. The vest was very big on her and could be closed over the cast if Riley just kept her injured arm at her side, pinned against her body. It was snug and uncomfortable, but Kat hoped it wouldn’t be for very long.

"Kat, you should wear it. You’ll be in more danger than I will," Riley pleaded.

"No arguments. I’ll be distracted less if I know you’re as safe as I can make you." Kat’s head jerked abruptly back toward the wall when the faint sounds resumed, several inches higher. "Keep very quiet," she whispered. She picked up the MP5 and moved to the door. She put the gun on full automatic. Shouldn’t be long now.

It took Frank only a few minutes to thoroughly search the bathroom. But he lingered there, pacing back and forth, trying to think of a way out of this mess. He could hear Scout’s grunts of rage and frustration from the living room, along with the muted cadence of books hitting the floor or crashing against the wall. Every now and then, he’d stick his head out of the door to watch her.

Scout attacked the bookshelves with single-minded fury until the living room was in chaos. Books were scattered everywhere. Torn pages littered the floor. The coffee table and easy chair were overturned. And almost everything breakable--Kat’s cameras, the photographs on the walls--had been smashed into bits.

The bunker grew silent.

Frank peeked out of the bathroom doorway.

Scout stood before the bookshelves, breathing heavily.

"Get in here!" she commanded.

Otter appeared in the bedroom doorway as Frank emerged from the bathroom. They glanced at each other, and Otter started to speak, but Scout cut him off.

"Anything?"

The men shook their heads.

"You!" she gestured to the taller man with her gun. "What’s your name again?"

"Frank."

"Come over here and pull out the rest of these. Look for a way through the wall," she ordered, waving the gun toward the bookshelves. Only the top two still contained books. The rest were empty.

Frank negotiated his way through the disarray and began clearing the lower of the two shelves, dropping the books on the floor. He glanced over his shoulder as Scout plopped down onto the couch behind him. Small beads of sweat glistened on her forehead.

She turned toward Otter, who leaned against the bedroom door frame watching her. "You. Go search the kitchen."

Otter nodded and headed toward it. He had to briefly pass behind her, and she watched him as he did.

It was while Scout’s attention was on Otter that Frank began clearing the top shelf. He had to reach above his head. He removed The Secret Garden, and his fingertips lightly grazed the button that unlocked the hidden door.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30